Jan 8, 2004, 11:31 AM
Post #1 of 44
(2158 views)
Shortcut
help make old racer freefly friendly
Can't Post
I bought my uncle's old racer off of him. I hate the container, but he sold the whole rig to me for 1200. I figure I'll get a g3 later on down the line. for now I need to make this rig safe for freeflying.
I'm replacing the pull out with a boc (someone packed it wrong when I was in eloy and it wouldn't open!!!!) I'll add tuck tabs. anything else you guys can think of...better safe than sorry.
Jan 8, 2004, 11:51 AM
Post #2 of 44
(2142 views)
Shortcut
Re: [silvere] help make old racer freefly friendly
[In reply to]
Can't Post
Old Racer and Free Fly friendly generally don't go together. You can get away with it much of the time but it doesn't necessarily make it a good Idea.
Common answers will be, Replace the velcro, and I've jumped mine x number of times with no trouble.
The little tiny cover flaps on the shoulders of a racer open very easily. If the top of the reserve packtray, near the riser covers, at the yoke, allow air to enter into the riser channel it will simly peel the sides open. Unfortunately that can happen even with new velcro.
If the entire side of the container is open exposing the riser, it will pull out part of the line group from the main container, and also very probably remove a toggle from it's keeper and fling it about. Extremely entertaining malfuntions are possible.
I have direct experience with old racers and freeflying.
You are wise to get rid of the Pullout. The pull out design is little to be desired.
It's hit or miss. If you fly head down or also do lots of flippy and twisty stuff, you are asking for trouble on many old style Racers.
What size parachutes What year and model Type 17 or type 8 risers?
Do you have the capability to send me some pictures? From the side and especially near the top of the rig. Multiple angles would be nice.
Jan 8, 2004, 11:59 AM
Post #4 of 44
(2136 views)
Shortcut
Re: [NightJumper] help make old racer freefly friendly
[In reply to]
Can't Post
Send me the information so I'll stop hammering the product.
Convince me.
PhreeZone (D License)
Moderator
Jan 8, 2004, 12:48 PM
Post #5 of 44
(2127 views)
Shortcut
Re: [hookitt] help make old racer freefly friendly
[In reply to]
Can't Post
Just post it... I'm wanting to see this too since there is a death trap of a Racer at my DZ and the kid is cheap and wants to freefly in it. If I could fix it... I'd feel better.
Jan 8, 2004, 3:06 PM
Post #7 of 44
(2100 views)
Shortcut
Re: [hookitt] help make old racer freefly friendly
[In reply to]
Can't Post
Did you all read his post? He wants to change to a throw out BOC and add tuck tab riser covers. So I told him to send it to me and I could make the changes plus any factory updates. No big deal. When it comes to modifications to containers or harnesses most good riggers will tell you to send it to the factory where they do it all of the time and have all of the templates etc.
Jan 8, 2004, 3:12 PM
Post #9 of 44
(2094 views)
Shortcut
Re: [hookitt] help make old racer freefly friendly
[In reply to]
Can't Post
Just changing out the riser covers and adding a BOC pouch. About an hours work for someone that knows what they are doing. I call it updating, but call it what you want.
Jan 9, 2004, 6:50 AM
Post #12 of 44
(2049 views)
Shortcut
Re: [silvere] help make old racer freefly friendly
[In reply to]
Can't Post
I had an old racer and I had some mods done to it too. Contact Nancy at racer, there not very expensive. I had the velcro replaced, I had the "walrus Teeth" made stronger and I had Ghee flaps installed for better riser protection. You can have tuck tabs installed totalled doing away with the velcro but its a bit expensive. good luck enjoy it, theres nothing wrong with your container
Jan 9, 2004, 10:16 AM
Post #13 of 44
(2024 views)
Shortcut
Re: [freefalle] help make old racer freefly friendly
[In reply to]
Can't Post
I just talked to my local rigger. he has my rig now (otherwise I'd post a pic) because I had a reserve ride on that last jump...cypres blew too which I just got back from ssk. I already have the boc, just not installed yet.
he didn't seem too concerned about it and said the racer will be fine. he said I'll need to add tuck tabs and to keep the boc pouch tight and in good shape. but he could do more, but didn't really think it was necessary
so far you guys suggested to: 1. Replace the velcro 2. tuck tab riser covers 3. "walrus Teeth" made stronger 4. Ghee flaps installed
is there anything else? won't have the money for a g3 until next year and I want to make sure this one is safe as possible in the mean time.
thanks a lot
PhreeZone (D License)
Moderator
Jan 9, 2004, 11:09 AM
Post #14 of 44
(2012 views)
Shortcut
Re: [silvere] help make old racer freefly friendly
[In reply to]
Can't Post
You need to do one or the other of these: 1. Replace the velcro 2. tuck tab riser covers
Stop and consider how much money its going to take to update this rig to be freefly safe. Compare that to the cost of a more current used rig that already is freefly friendly. Odds are there is only a couple hundred difference or less.
I've had a few people at my DZ want to make Vector2's freefly friendly that looked like shit to start with. We figured they could get a used Mirage/Javelin for only about $350 -500 more then what they were going to invest into fixing their old gear. To them the 500 was only about 25 jumps and they could live with doing 25 less jumps to get safer gear.
Jan 9, 2004, 7:48 PM
Post #16 of 44
(1977 views)
Shortcut
Re: [silvere] help make old racer freefly friendly
[In reply to]
Can't Post
quote "better safe than sorry."
to be honest the amount of money you spend on buying the equipment and making it "FF friendly" (which by the way is a concept not a product) you might as well well buy a 'modern' container.
Is the sake of a couple of hundred quid worth a prem at 200mph????????
(This post was edited by paulharris on Jan 9, 2004, 7:57 PM)
Jan 17, 2004, 7:54 AM
Post #24 of 44
(1866 views)
Shortcut
Re: [silvere] help make old racer freefly friendly
[In reply to]
Can't Post
Quote:
because I had a reserve ride on that last jump...cypres blew too
woah, do you mean you had a cypress fire?? did you have your reserve ride in eloy jumping with dusty sometime in november?? if so i think i saw it, that was LOW. how long was the canopy ride? 30, 40 seconds???
Jan 17, 2004, 8:24 AM
Post #25 of 44
(1863 views)
Shortcut
Re: [PhreeZone] help make old racer freefly friendly
[In reply to]
Can't Post
In reply to:
I've had a few people at my DZ want to make Vector2's freefly friendly that looked like shit to start with.
Yeah no shit. You want an example, look at me. My first rig was an original Vector, all velcro. I made the mistake of trying to freefly in that rig, and it always scared the shit out of me, as I'm sure it did everybody else (like Phree ). Anyway, I had all the mods I could think of put on there at the time. I replaced all the velcro, added snaps to the riser covers, tried to make it freefly friendly. Even though these things helped, they didn't make it totally freefly safe. The moral of the story is, IMHO you should sell that Racer and get something MADE to be freefly friendly. It's better safe than sorry pal.
You want an example, look at me. My first rig was an original Vector, all velcro. I made the mistake of trying to freefly in that rig, and it always scared the shit out of me, as I'm sure it did everybody else (like Phree 
). Anyway, I had all the mods I could think of put on there at the time. I replaced all the velcro, added snaps to the riser covers, tried to make it freefly friendly. Even though these things helped, they didn't make it totally freefly safe. The moral of the story is, IMHO you should sell that Racer and get something MADE to be freefly friendly. It's better safe than sorry pal. 
1
